You are receiving this newsletter because you are enrolled in the WECA Food Program. | |
December 2024
Stay connected: Check out our current staff directory here.
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Your Monthly News & Updates | |
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National Days in December
December 1: National Pie Day
Read I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie (Jackson, 1997) and serve savory pie, which may credit as shown here:
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(Source: Crediting Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program, p 95.) | |
Food Program Anniversaries in December
10 years: Martha Moctezuma Saavedra, Yimma Davila-Castro, Cindy Brueggen, Michelle Coker
30 years: Bonnie Pfeiffer
We applaud your commitment to serving nutritious meals and snacks to the children in your care!
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Welcome to Our New Provider!
Taylor in South Milwaukee
We welcome you and applaud this mark of professionalism!
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Food Program Staff Updates
Welcome Marci Conway, our new Area Coordinator!
Hello! My name is Marci Conway, and I am excited to be joining this team! I have a degree in early childhood care and development, along with more than 20 years of experience. I have always been passionate about the importance of early education. I started in the field as an infant teacher and after two years stepped into a management role, most recently working as director a licensed child care facility. Through the years, I worked with all age groups, as the center cook, and even as the bus driver.
In my down time, I spend as much of it as I can with my daughter and two grandkids. I spend almost all the rest of my time crafting many different types of things. (I tend to think if I see it that I can make it!)
I look forward to meeting with everyone and continuing to be a part of working in the Early Childhood field and being a supporter of children and their families.
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Catching Up with Pam Polenz: Updates from Retirement
WECA Food Program Director Pam Polenz retired on Sept. 30 after more than 30 years with the Food Program!
What’s she been up to? Having lunch with old friends, staying busy with her grandchildren and extended family, going to the gym, and exploring new forms of exercise.
Pam is learning to navigate having more unstructured time after many years maintaining a demanding job. In time, she plans to work part time. For now, she is considering how to spend her time and talents reinventing herself!
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Farm to ECE
Did you know? WECA publishes a monthly Farm to ECE newsletter, which is filled with timely, helpful, and relevant information and resources on Farm to ECE in Wisconsin. The latest edition explores the power of shared meals, community connections, and food security in fostering a sense of belonging by young children and families in your programs and communities.
We also invite you to sign up to receive the Farm to ECE newsletter by contacting us, or enrolling in WECA’s Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN) – for free. The newsletter is a benefit of all WEESSN-enrolled programs.
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Recipes to Try!
Baba Ghanoush
20-Minute Chicken Creole
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Ask the Food Program
Question:
How do I get a summary of my 2024 payments from the Food Program for my taxes?
Answer:
Log into CACFP.Net. Under My CACFP info, select Checks Received. Use 01/01/2024 for the Start Date and 12/31/2024 for the End Date of your search.
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Documenting a Child’s Special Diet
Special Diet Forms are required whenever a child in your care can’t be fed according to CACFP guidelines.
Documents to Complete for Disability Related Special Dietary Needs Requests: “A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more ‘major life activities’ including care for oneself, performing manual tasks, eating, breathing, digestive, bowel and bladder, neurological, respiratory, circulatory, and endocrine functions.”
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Special Dietary Needs Tracking Form Section 1: Disability (For Providers to Complete)
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Medical Statement (For Licensed Health Care Professionals to Complete: Physician, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner (APNP), Dentist, Optometrist, or Podiatrist)
Documents to Complete for Non-Disability Related Special Dietary Needs Requests: i.e., for preference, including religious or ethnic preferences, or lifestyle reasons.
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Special Dietary Needs Tracking Form Section II: Non-disability Special Dietary Need (SDN) Request (For Providers to Complete)
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SPECIAL DIET FORM (For Providers to Complete)
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When a parent requests an alternate milk due to preference, consult the Creditable Non-Dairy Beverages (Fluid Milk Substitute) for beverages that are nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk.
YOU MUST REPORT EVERY SPECIAL DIET required for a child, whether Disability-Related or Non-Disability Related. It does not matter whether the meals are reimbursable or not.
- Work with the parent/guardian to obtain the appropriate documentation so appropriate and safe meals and snacks can be served to the child.
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Submit the forms to jgiles@wisconsinearlychildhood.org for review and possible approval.
NOTE: Meal and snacks served to a child with a Special Diet between the date of the discovery of the Special Diet and approval of the Special Diet (if it can be*) must be disallowed.
*NOT EVERY SPECIAL DIET CAN BE REIMBURSED.
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Apply for the Higher Tier Anytime
Has your household grown larger? Has your household income decreased? Do you now receive a qualifying service such as FoodShare? If so, you may qualify to receive the higher Tier 1 rates. You may also qualify to claim the residential children living in home, if applicable. Applications and federal income guidelines are found in this resource under Financial.
Records and Retention: Your Responsibility
- Keep accurate daily records of attendance, menus, and meal counts
- Record menus and meal counts online by the end of each operating day
- Enroll in the CACFP, at no charge, all enrolled children through 12 years, infants, and of any age when having disabilities, including children enrolled for drop-in care.
- Retain and have ready-access to all CACFP records for the current fiscal year (October – September) plus the prior 3 years.
- Keep current and previous 12 months of records onsite; prior records may be kept offsite if readily accessible.
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Parents Must Complete Child Enrollment Forms Thoroughly
- Each parent/guardian must complete all the applicable information on the Child Enrollment Form for their child.
- You must verify that all information on the Child Enrollment Form is complete and correct, including each child’s meal/snack authorization. Incomplete or incorrect information is considered provider error and is not adjustable.
- Food Program recommends selecting all meals and snacks for which the provider is authorized. This includes children enrolled for occasional care, such as drop-in care or summer-only care.
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- Food Program recommends selecting Yes to Schedule May Vary to help account for changes to attendance:
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- If you notice an error, contact the Food Program right away to prevent further deductions to your claim.
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Be sure to keep copies of complete enrollment forms for review during Home Visits by your Area Coordinator, or representatives of DPI or USDA.
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What is a Household Contact?
By federal regulation, the WECA Food Program is required to complete household contacts for some child care homes participating in our program. If your family child care is chosen for a household contact, each family will be asked to complete and submit information about their child’s days and hours of attendance and the meals received in your child care home during a targeted interval. Completing this information carefully and timely helps to ensure the integrity and quality of the Food Program.
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Wisconsin WIC Program
Current WIC Income eligibility can be found here.
- You are required to provide current Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program information to all parents of children in care.
- Post it where all parents can see it or give one to each family.
WIC promotes and maintains the health and well-being of nutritionally at risk pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women and infants and children. It provides nutrition, education, breastfeeding education/support, supplemental nutritious foods and referral to other health and nutrition services.
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Report Your Closures
If you will be closed for vacation or due to illness, it is your responsibility to notify your Area Coordinator before 7 a.m. Reporting closures in the Child Care Portal does not satisfy this Food Program requirement. If you provide transportation to or from school, you must also notify your Area Coordinator of the times you will be away and unavailable for Home Visits.
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Do You Know Tom Copeland?
Tom Copeland has been a trainer, author, and advocate for the business of family child care for more than 40 years. His Family Child Care Resource Directory covers everything from marketing and money management to recordkeeping.
Check out Civitas Strategies Early Start (formerly Tom Copeland’s Taking Care of Business blog) today!
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Holiday Closures
WECA offices will be closed from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, 2025. Regular hours and operations will resume on Jan. 2, 2025. Contact your Area Coordinator if you need assistance during this time.
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The Provider Connection is published by the WECA Food Program.
Any Questions: Call 608-240-9880 or visit our website.
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